Doubleheader Starts Louisiana Downs Season

Quarter Horses going long and short open the season at Louisiana Downs.

January 9, 2013

The long and the short of American Quarter Horse racing highlights opening day of the Louisiana Downs season with the $15,000 Marathon Stakes over 870 yards and the $15,000 Harrah’s Dash at 250 yards topping Saturday’s program.

Kellie Hebert’s Mr Fallen Angel (Oak Tree Special-Angels Quick Dash by Royal Quick Dash) tries for his second-straight stakes win in the Marathon after taking the 870-yard Au Revoir Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths while leading for the entire race. The 4-year-old gelding from the Randy Hebert barn moved up from the claiming ranks to take the Au Revoir Stakes. Previously, he raced to two wins and a pair of second-place efforts in four starts from the $5,000 to $10,000 claiming level.

Mr Fallen Angel has found his distance at 870 yards with two wins and two second in four starts, his four most recent efforts.

The Henry Padgett-owned and -trained Slinkys Fortune (Dashs Slinky-Chasing A Fortune by Six Fortunes) is always dangerous in 870-yard races on the Louisiana circuit. He has five wins, three seconds and a third from 10 starts at Louisiana Downs.

Slinkys Fortune, an earner of $282,733, has made each of his 31 career starts at 870 yards, with 11 wins, 12 seconds and five thirds.

The 9-year-old gelding is in top form and comes off a third-place run in the Au Revoir Stakes when he was forced to make a seven-wide move and was defeated by 3 lengths.

In the Harrah’s Dash, James Mitchell’s Martini Mountain (Panther Mountain-Glitz Gator by Streakin La Jolla) makes his first start at 250 yards after winning the $100,000 Louisiana Day Classic (RG2) over 440 yards by a neck. He opened a lead in the Classic before winning at 47-1 odds.

While much of his success has come at longer distances, Martini Mountain was beaten by only a nose in his latest start at 350 yards, a $17,500 optional-claiming race, and won his most recent start at 330 yards, an $18,000 allowance race.

Guadalupe Chavira’s Rumbulling Knight (Midnight Knight-Rumbulling Jazz by Jazzing Hi) excels at shorter distances and adores Louisiana Downs. The Anireal Chavira-trained gelding has two wins and two thirds from four starts at 250 yards and is three-for-three at Louisiana Downs. He won his maiden over 300 yards at Louisiana Downs a year ago and then came back to take his next two races, each at 250 yards.